


Mischief Night

by somethinglikegumption



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-08
Updated: 2017-10-08
Packaged: 2019-01-10 12:43:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12299475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/somethinglikegumption/pseuds/somethinglikegumption
Summary: After Weatherbee cuts funding for the Blue and Gold, the core four get revenge through some slight vandalism. Bughead-centric.





	Mischief Night

**Author's Note:**

> Based on prompt 012 "Mischief Night" on the Bughead autumn prompt table by raptorlily [here](https://raptorlily.tumblr.com/post/165731722540/bughead-autumn-prompt-table). Thank you for creating the prompts and giving me this one!

“Mr. Weatherbee, freedom of the press is a constitutional right and I don’t believe the school board will be too happy to hear you’re stifling the development of young writers over one little article by cutting the Blue & Gold’s funding.”

“Miss Cooper, I’ve allowed you to resurrect the paper on the condition that the funding can be allocated each quarter and there are no funding requests that take precedence. During the break when we revised the budget, it was decided the money could be put to better use elsewhere and there’s nothing more I can do about it. Now, classes start in two minutes and I’m positive you don’t want to lose your perfect attendance record.”

Betty storms out of the office and down the hall to her locker. Spinning the combination, her fingers trembling in anger, she develops and discards plan after plan to get back at Weatherbee. An exposé in the Register on his repurposing of the Blue & Gold’s funding, no doubt for more new football uniforms? A sternly written letter to the PTA extolling the virtues of quality journalism and the need to offer a wide range of extracurriculars for all students?

“Not to ruin a good thing here, but you’re glaring at that picture like it’ll suddenly give up season 8 spoilers for Game of Thrones,” Veronica says, poking her head out from behind Betty’s locker door.

Betty almost smiles until she remembers the injustice that had just been leveled on Riverdale High. “I’m hoping the abyss of my locker will reveal an idea to get back at Weatherbee,” she admits, grabbing her biology textbook and shutting the door. “He cut the paper’s funding, so there goes my chance to right at least some of the wrongs in this town.”

“Are you sure that’s it?” Veronica questions, following Betty down the hall to their classroom. “Or does this has something to do with your newly-Southside loner boyfriend and the Blue & Gold being the only thing left to remind you of him at Riverdale?”

“Jughead and I…we haven’t talked much since everything with Mr. Andrews. He’s been busy trying to research his dad’s case, and the paper keeps me busy too. Instead of worrying about him, I can worry about the freshman who keeps submitting crazy inappropriate cartoons or that advice column the guidance counselor made me start that has no questions.” She shakes her head at the thought of the new advisor telling her how “helpful” it would be for kids to write in and share their problems. “Weatherbee just wants to punish me for publishing the article about FP, and I’m not going to let him get away with it.”

Veronica smirks with a cunning look in her eye. “I think I can help you out with that.”

* * *

The idea was simple, laid out over burgers and milkshakes at Pop’s. Eggs, toilet paper, and baseball bats were the weapons, and Weatherbee’s house was the target. The plan? Destruction.

It hadn’t been hard to convince Archie to join in, and it was Veronica’s idea all along. The lone holdout, surprisingly, was Jughead.

“Betty, I know you love the Blue & Gold, but is it really worth the trouble if we get caught?” He asks, twirling a dark curl peeking out from his beanie around a slim finger. “Your mom would kill you.”

“That’s the best part!” Betty says, smiling. “My mom is the least of my worries. Polly’s nesting and they spend half of their time in the Babies R Us in Centerville. This is the perfect time to strike. Besides,” she lowers her voice to whisper in his ear, “we can have some time together - alone - afterwards.”

Jughead shivers and nods his head. “Fine, I guess I’ll come along and keep you three from getting yourselves caught.”

“That’s what I like to hear!” cheers Veronica.

* * *

“I can’t believe you wore heels to egg Weatherbee’s house,” Archie says, shaking his head. “What if we have to make a run for it?”

“Oh Archiekins, Dior dresses do not pair with sneakers,” Veronica waves a hand in dismissal. “Those shoes belong in a gym and nowhere else.”

“Quiet, guys. I don’t know how the new foster family will react to me getting arrested on my first month living with them. Betty, do you have the supplies?”

She pulls the two cartons of eggs out of the bag and hands them to Jughead. Tossing the package of toilet paper rolls to Archie and Veronica, she slings her backpack over her shoulders and gets a firm grip on the baseball bat. “Remember, Weatherbee’s out of town for the weekend, so as long as we stay in the shadows we should be fine. If anything goes wrong, run. We’ll meet back at Pop’s in two hours.” They all nod in agreement and get to work.

Betty takes her baseball bat to the mailbox, her anger slowly seeping out with every strike. Archie and Veronica start covering the bushes in the front of the house and the apple tree in the yard, hoping the rain they can smell in the air hits soon and makes the paper a sodden mess before the principal gets home. Jughead makes sure to hit every window in the front of the house with the eggs they’d purchased that morning.

Archie’s on his third roll of toilet paper when he steps into the driveway to get the bushes on the far side of the house. Instantly, a motion sensor activates, bathing the front yard in bright white light.

A light flicks on in the house across the street. They all freeze, until Jughead’s voice rings out across the yard. “SCATTER!”

* * *

Panting, trying to catch his breath, Jughead opens the door to Pop’s as the bell over the door announces their presence. Betty follows close behind, her chest heaving from running the half mile from Weatherbee’s at a speed she hasn’t tried since she’d accidentally given Polly’s favorite Barbie a haircut in the first grade.

Sliding into a booth, Jughead waves over at Pop, who nods and starts making their usual, two milkshakes, one vanilla, one strawberry. “Well, that was fun.”

“Cathartic? Yes. Fun? Probably not. I just hope whoever that was didn’t see our faces.” Betty sits next to him, leaning into his arm. “If my mom finds out, I’m dead.”

“I knew you were all talk and no action,” he teases as he rests his arm across the booth behind her. “Makes sense though. We’re all scared of your mom.”

“I’m not scared!” She says, shrugging her shoulders. “It’s respect, coupled with - “

“Oh shit oh shit oh shit,” Jughead interrupts, speaking under his breath as Sheriff Keller enters the diner and walks up to the counter to order from one of the servers.

Betty freezes in her seat, her eyes dropping to where her fists are automatically clenching under the table.

Surveying the restaurant, his eyes land on them and he starts over to their booth. “Evening, kids,” the sheriff says, bracing himself on the bench across from them. “Out a little late tonight, aren’t you?”

“Why Sheriff Keller, I trust our fine police force to keep our streets safe at all hours of the night,” Jughead quips. Betty slaps his leg under the table, silently telling him to knock it off.

“I just came from an interesting call. Seems like some kids decided it would be a good night to deface some property and went after the Weatherbee house with eggs and toilet paper.” He narrows his eyes, looking between the two of them. “You two wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”

“They’ve been here for ages!” Pop cuts in, placing their milkshakes on the table in front of them. “I was about to kick them out to go do whatever kids do on the night before Halloween.”

“Thanks Pop,” Betty says, throwing him a smile. To Sheriff Keller, she shows her best face of disbelief, an Alice Cooper-trademarked look of innocence. “That’s terrible, Sheriff! But I’m sure you’ll be able to catch whoever it was.”

Keller straightens up from the booth. “We will, and I hope whoever did it is prepared for the consequences. Now, you be safe and have a good night.”

They watch him pick up his coffee from the counter and leave, the bells offering a cheery end to the tense situation. Betty tries to hold it in, but bursts out in a fit of laughter. Jughead joins in, their happy, relieved giggles ringing through the restaurant.

“I don’t think I’m cut out for the criminal life,” Betty says, leaning her head on his shoulder.

“There goes my next date night plan,” he jokes, placing a kiss on the top of her head. “Even though you almost got me arrested, I still love you, Betty Cooper.”

She smiles up at him and cups his cheek in her hand. “I love you too, Jughead Jones.”


End file.
